


The Pros & Cons of Breathing

by topstarlobster



Series: It's Not A Side Effect Of The Cocaine, I Am Thinking It Must Be Love [1]
Category: Infinite (Band)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-25
Updated: 2016-02-25
Packaged: 2018-05-23 02:22:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,445
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6101605
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/topstarlobster/pseuds/topstarlobster
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lowly intern Lee Sungjong has a run-in with the infamous Director Kim who turns out to be unexpectedly adorable.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Pros & Cons of Breathing

The first thing Sungjong learned was to beware of Kim Sunggyu. It is like the Number One rule for all of the employees of the department, maybe even the whole company. As a lowly intern, Sungjong doesn't have to worry about running into the man, but if the impossible were to occur he had been advised to avoid all eye contact and try to get away as fast as possible. He has never met him and, if all the rumors are true, he never wants to.

It is just his luck that on the day that the other interns are buzzing with fresh gossip regarding a certain director making a well-known CEO cry, Woohyun, his team leader, drops a folder on his desk and orders, "Take this report to Director Kim."

"What?" Sungjong stares dumbfounded at the older male, who glares in return. He hastily amends: "I mean, excuse me, sir?"

"I'm tired," his manager sighs. "Take this up to Director Kim for me."

The reiteration only serves to further confuse the poor intern. He knows he is obligated by his job title to be an errand boy for his seniors, but he thought Woohyun and the director were something like friends. He doesn't see why he has to be involved; he would much rather stay hidden behind his desk. But Woohyun is his manager and he doesn't want to be fired, so he nods his head and replies, "Of course, sir."

"Good."

Sungjong waits until he is sure Woohyun is far away before dropping his head on his desk. Why did it have to be him of all people? The resounding thud draws the attention of Myungsoo, his friend and fellow intern. The other boy glances over briefly and asks, "What happened to you?"

"I have to go see Kim Sunggyu," Sungjong mumbles into the countertop. If he had known today would be his last day on Earth he would have done so many things differently, like eating a better breakfast or walking to work instead of taking the bus. He didn't even get to say goodbye to his parents.

Myungsoo now has full attention on his fallen friend, a mournful look on his face. He had grown quite fond of the younger boy since they started working together and after learning of their director's infamous reputation, he couldn't help but worry for the other's future. "What do you mean? Did he ask for you specifically?"

Sungjong finally picks his head up and turns to his friend. Pouting, he grumbles, "No, Woohyun asked me to bring him a report. Do you think it's too late to quit?"

"That's nothing," Myungsoo chuckles, no longer concerned for his friend. "He probably doesn't even know who you are."

Sungjong lets out a frustrated moan and plops his head back on his desk. "That just makes it worse. I'm a nobody here; he could eat me and no one would care."

"I would care," his friend insists.

"Hey, Sungjong, if you die can I have your stapler?" Sungyeol, another intern, butts in.

Sungjong lifts his head high enough to shoot the grinning boy a murderous scowl before returning to his previous position. If he had the energy he would chuck his stupid stapler at the older boy's stupid face.

Moving over to the troubled intern's desk, Myungsoo puts his arm around him and gives his shoulder a squeeze. Ever since they started working together he has been rather protective of the other boy and it really worries him how stressed he is over something so trivial. "Don't listen to him," Myungsoo tells him. "You're just going up there to drop some papers off, you have nothing to worry about."

 _Myungsoo is such a good friend_ , Sungjong thinks; he's really going to miss him. He's still scared out of his mind, but if it's his time to go, he can accept it. Finally raising his head up for good, Sungjong smiles gratefully at his friend and picks up the folder on the corner of his desk. It's time to get this over with.

"I should hurry up before Woohyun comes back and bites my head off for taking so long."

With one last reassuring pat on the back from Myungsoo, the terrified intern sets off for the fifteenth floor. He's barely out of the room when he hears Sungyeol yell, "Nice knowing you!"

He really should've thrown that stapler at him, it would've made a nice last happy memory.

 _Stupid Woohyun_ , the intern thinks as he pushes the floor button in the elevator. The workday barely started and he was already claiming he was tired, the lazy jerk just didn't want to go through the trouble of going back and forth. Sometimes he really wonders why he works here.

The long ride up ends with a ding and Sungjong steps out onto the gray carpeted floor. The director's room is only a few doors down and he can feel dread rising in his stomach. His steps feel heavy as he walks down the hall, the folder clenched tightly in his sweaty grasp. The entire floor seems deserted and Sungjong has the urge to drop the report on the secretary's desk and flee to the safety of the sixth floor, but he's sure it would somehow get traced back to him and then he would really be in for it.

He finally gets to the director's office and finds the door open. Poking his head in, Sungjong spots Director Kim sitting behind his desk and lifts his hand to signal his presence. His hand is an inch away from the polished wood when he notices exactly what the director is doing. The older man has a delicious-looking vanilla cupcake piled high with creamy frosting in his hand and, as the young intern watches, he brings it to his mouth and eats it all in one bite. No, inhale is a better word to describe it. Sungjong is pretty sure he saw his jaw unhinge a little.

He is a few bites in when Sunggyu's eyes meet Sungjong's and time seems to halt for a second, Sungjong stuck halfway into the office and Sunggyu with his cheeks stuffed with cupcake. He then proceeds to choke on said dessert as the intern straightens himself up and directs his gaze to the floor. Although he is curious to see the expression on his boss's face, the young employee keeps his head down and waits for the coughing to end. It is over soon enough and the director clears his throat before demanding, "Who are you?"

"I'm Lee Sungjong, an intern," he replies with a deep bow. "Team Leader Nam sent me to give you this report."

Stepping forward to hand over the folder, he looks anywhere that isn't directly at the director, remembering what the other interns told him. Even after what he's just witnessed Sungjong is still somewhat intimidated by his boss. He reaches Sunggyu's desk and gives him the file, his simple task completed at last.

"If that's all, you may go," Director Kim states, a stern frown on his face.

Sungjong makes the mistake of looking up and he takes notice of a bit of buttercream smeared on his boss's lips. He has to bite his own lip to keep from laughing, bowing a bit lower to hide his face. As he turns to leave Sunggyu's voice warns, "You didn't see anything, right?"

"Of course not, sir." The threat is clear and Sungjong doesn't doubt for one minute that every single rumor he has heard is true. He's at the door when he finds himself turning around again. "Uh, sir, you have a little something right here," he says, much to his own surprise, as he points to the corner of his mouth.

Sunggyu's eyes seem to triple in size and he rushes to wipe his mouth. The intern scurries out of the room as a snort escapes him; he doesn't want to experience first-hand just what the older man is capable of. He makes it to the elevator before he completely breaks down.

He is all alone as he dissolves into a fit of laughter; never had he imagined his first meeting with the director would be so ridiculous— and it wasn't even his fault. In the few weeks he had been working at the company he had been scared beyond belief by the notorious Director Kim, but now he couldn't get the image of the man's puffed-up cheeks and frosting-stained lips out of his mind. Myungsoo would be rolling on the floor when he heard about this.

The only thing scary about Kim Sunggyu are his eating habits.


End file.
